Turkey says normalisation of Israel ties will help resolve Palestinian conflict

• Turkish FM says ties between Turkey, Israel will have a "positive impact" on a "peaceful" resolution to Palestinian conflict.
• Cavusoglu says two countries agreed to "re-energise" relations in many areas.
• Lapid and Cavusoglu add officials would begin working on a new civil aviation agreement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that the normalisation of ties between Turkey and Israel will have a "positive impact" on a "peaceful" resolution to the Palestinian conflict.

In a news conference after talks with his Israeli counterpart, Cavusoglu said the two countries agreed to "re-energise" relations in many areas, including resuming talks on civil aviation.

Israel, Turkey looking to expand economic partnership

Cavusoglu is on the second day of a two-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, the first such visit by a senior Turkish official in 15 years.

"The goal is to form and expand economic and civil cooperation between our countries," Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement alongside Cavusoglu in Jerusalem, "and to leverage our two countries' comparative advantages regionally and globally, even during the pandemic, and even in times of political tension."

Lapid and Cavusoglu added that officials would begin working on a new civil aviation agreement.

Turkey and Israel have been working to mend their long-strained ties, with energy emerging as a key area for potential cooperation. The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

"We believe that normalisation of our ties will also have a positive impact on the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Turkey is ready to take responsibility to continue the efforts towards dialogue," Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu is due to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque later on Wednesday, Islam's third holiest site and the scene of repeated clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the holy month of Ramadan. He said he had discussed the issue with Lapid.